#TBT: Melania Trump's 2012 Closet Tour

Four years can change a lot in a person's life—just ask the Trumps. Just four years ago, Donald was more focused on The Apprentice than the presidency, while Melania was designing jewelry instead of stump speeches. Back then, we caught up with Melania to talk about work, motherhood, and personal style. Read the full 2012 piece below, where she gives us a tour of her NYC closet and reveals the most prized items she owns. (She's got quite the extensive collection of silk dressing gowns, doesn't she?)

Following a successful career as a high-end fashion model, Melania Trump has settled into a lifestyle of designing, planning, mothering...and of course jetting between her three favorite places: New York City, Palm Beach, and Paris. While it doesn't get more glamorous than being a Trump, this Slovenian beauty is grounded and focused, building her own image with a thriving line of jewelry sold on QVC and devotedly taking her son Barron to and from school, a rarity for Manhattan moms.

Yet there's no denying that a gilded existence breeds luxurious taste. She relaxes at home in silk dressing gowns, and her favorite shopping destinations include Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Valentino. Melania's chic personal style is completely independent of Donald: "We go shopping together for antiques and furniture and jewelry and special presents, but not for clothing."

Here, her most prized wardrobe possessions:

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Alexander McQueen gown

Dustin Cohen

"This is one of my favorite dresses. I wore it to the Met Gala in 2005, and when I was walking up the steps, you could really see the beautiful layers. I added a diamond brooch right above the tulle, so it was really stunning."

"I love how the color in these shoes adds just the right touch to an outfit. For example, I was wearing them the other day to a business lunch, and I was wearing all black, but with those pumps it looked really chic."

"I like to get dressed up. I don't see myself going out in sweats, dropping Barron at school in sweats—it's just not my style, never was. I like to put myself together and go out. I do wear jeans and T-shirt though! I like them—why not? They're very comfortable, and when I'm home and playing with my child, I like to wear a white T-shirt and jeans."

"I was planning to wear this dress in Palm Beach—I think it will be beautiful at Mar-a-Lago. When I buy something, I don't need to wear it right away. I'm not into that. I don't follow what is in fashion now; I just listen to myself and what I like...what makes me feel good and what looks good on me. I wait for the right occasion or see how I feel each day. I'd wear this dress with Louboutin nude flats—usually when I see something, I already know what I'll wear it with."

"I love my closet, and I always buy things that I love 100 percent. I'm very organized, and I like everything sorted by colors, even the shoes. It's important to know exactly where everything is when you walk into the closet."

"I was chairing the Martha Graham event in 2005, and John Galliano made this dress for me. He is one of my favorite designers—he designed my wedding dress. We met for the fitting, and it is one of the most exquisite dresses. You can see the workmanship...the couture."

Melania's jewelry

Dustin Cohen

"I find inspiration for my line of jewelry from traveling and from my lifestyle. I have three collections: New York, Palm Beach, and Paris. New York is very business-oriented, for women who are on the go all the time, who need to drop off a child at school and go directly to the office. Palm Beach is sporty elegance, something you'd wear to play tennis or golf, and even going to the beach and building sandcastles with your child. Paris is a little bit more glamour and sparkle, with lots of diamonds, as I call them. My favorite piece is a very simple bracelet from the New York collection."

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